By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area
Stanford and Cal will always remember The Play.
Dallas and San Francisco have The Catch.
Battlefield and Lake Braddock pale in comparison to those rivalries, but the first all-time meeting between the schools will never be forgotten among any in attendance.
The Bobcats and Bruins have The Hops.
“Actually, when I first threw it, I thought I threw it out-of-bounds,” said Lake Braddock quarterback Michael Nebrich of his game-winning touchdown pass to Chris Williams in the first overtime.
“I knew that Chris plays basketball, too, and he’s got some hops. I knew when I threw it up and saw him jump for it, that he was going to come down with it.”
With that 15-yard grab on 3rd-and-goal in overtime, Lake Braddock beat previously undefeated Battlefield, 27-24, vaulting the Bruins to their first football state championship game appearance in school history.
It was Williams’ first career touchdown reception.
“Coach [Chris] Weiler, when we were on the sidelines, all the receivers were together, and he was like, ‘On the 7-route, run the slant,'” Williams said. “So I ran the slant to open up the corner for someone else, like the corner for [Brandon Johnson]. I looked back and Nebrich was scrambling.
“Once I turned around, the defensive back was there, but Nebrich gave me a great pass, right over the defensive back. I just had to make sure my feet were in and bring it down.”
In hauling it in, Williams not only lifted Braddock to the state final, but he erased what was nearly the most painful moment in program history.
With :14 seconds left in regulation, Nebrich ran for a four-yard touchdown, moving the Bruins ahead, 21-14. On the ensuing squib kick, Battlefield junior Bobo Beathard fielded the ball at his own 31-yard line and was swarmed by Lake Braddock safeties Ross Renzi and Jake Holmes.
But, in desperation, Beathard flipped a lateral to senior Blaine Mason and the Bruin sideline deflated as Mason sprinted the remaining 68 yards untouched for the game-tying score with “0.9” reading on the game clock.
“I thought we had the game won when we scored the touchdown, so it was kind of tough watching them return the kick return. My stomach sunk a little bit,” said Nebrich, 17-for-32 passing for 304 yards with three touchdowns, no picks. “But coming into overtime, I knew our team would rebound, the defense would hold them and the offense would get the touchdown.”
Added Johnson (five catches, 140 yards, two touchdowns): “Woodson did that to us in Week 2 and it was a terrible feeling. But when Chris Williams caught that ball in the back of the end zone, it was the best feeling of my life.”
Lake Braddock faces Central Region champion Thomas Dale (11-2) in the Virginia AAA Division 6 State championship Saturday at the University of Virginia at 4 p.m.
The Knights have reached the title game twice, but have never won it.
Following an overtime win over nationally ranked Oscar Smith in the semifinals, though, Dale might be the only team in Virginia with more momentum than Lake Braddock.
“They run the ball a lot at Thomas Dale, so we have to stop the run,” said Nebrich, accounting for 4,276 yards from scrimmage this year and 43 total touchdowns.
“The defense is going to do a great job and we’re just going to throw the ball around the yard, just like we always do, on offense.”
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
Box Score 1 2 3 4 OT — F
Battlefield 2 6 0 13 3 — 24
Lake Braddock 7 7 0 7 6 — 27
Scoring Plays
1Q — BF — safety; snap through end zone — 9:07
1Q — LB — Johnson 29 from Nebrich (Weiler kick) — 2:58
2Q — BF — Revell 1 run (kick blocked) — 8:08
2Q — LB — Johnson 42 from Nebrich (Weiler kick) — 6:48
4Q — BF — Revell 1 run (kick failed) — 10:14
4Q — LB — Nebrich 4 run (Weiler kick) — 0:14
4Q — BF — Mason 68 kick return (Hoepker kick) — 0:01 (view 2)
4Q — BF — Hoepker 20 FG
4Q — LB — Williams 15 from Nebrich (view 2)
Passing
BF – Revell – 6-for-14, 67 yards, INT.
LB – Nebrich – 17-for-32, 304 yards, 3 TD.
Rushing
BF – Agyeman – 22 car, 91 yards; Jackson – 13 car, 49 yards; Beathard – 7 car, 14 yards; Revell – 11 car, 13 yards, 2 TD; Mason – 1 car, 1
yard.
LB – Nebrich – 16 car, 111 yards, TD; Mansaray – 3 car, 4 yards.
Receiving
BF – Robinson – 6 rec, 67 yards.
LB – Johnson – 5 rec, 140 yards, 2 TD; Mansaray – 4 rec, 61 yards; Banihashemi – 2
rec, 49 yards; Resetar – 4 car, 33 yards; Williams – 2 car, 21 yards, TD.
Times Targeted
BF – Robinson – 11; Beathard – 1; Jackson – 1; Mason – 1.
LB – Johnson – 10; Banihashemi – 9; Resetar – 6; Mansaray – 5; Williams – 2.
Leading Tacklers
BF – Wendle – 9; Stringfellow – 5; Mason – 4.
LB – Renzi – 9; Adetunji – 7; Nubong – 7; Abassi – 6; Holmes – 6; Lavery – 6; Alami – 5; Mareye – 5; Stickford – 5; Weidinger – 5; Doe – 4.
Total Yards
BF – 235.
LB – 419.
First Downs (Total; Run-Pass-Penalty)
BF – 15; 11-4-0.
LB – 14; 5-9-0.
Time of Possession (Total; First Half)
BF – 33:44; 16:10.
LB – 14:16; 7:50.
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